Windshield



w. LEVEAU Dec. 14, 1937.

WINDSHIELD Filed Dec. 24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sneet 1 mmvrog ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1937. V U 2,102,123

WINDSHIELD Filed Dec. 24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'l/III/l VIIIIIIII/lfl 'II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII dill?- BY E ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14, 1937 WINDSHIELD Walter Leveau, Newport News, Va., assignor to Horace E. Dodge Boat & Plane Corporation, 7 New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 24, 1930, Serial No. 504,458

6 Claims.

- My invention relates to improvements in windshields for water-craft or other vehicles, and is more particularly directed to a collapsible or folding wind-shield which may be readily raised and/or lowered.

It is a prime object of my invention to provide a wind-shield of the character designated, having a plurality of shield sections or panels adapted to be connected one to the other in such a manner as to support the same when in raised position'without the use of anadditional framing, and which sections may be collapsed and folded to lie flat when the wind-shield'is lowered, thereby minimizing the wind resistancethereof.

Further objects are, to provide means for securing the wind-shield in raised and lowered positions; to provide supplemental or side shield sectionswhich extend rearwardly from the main shield sections to deflect the wind and support the said main sections; and to provide'a windshield of the character described which is of simple construction, strong and durable, and which may be produced at a minimum cost.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the forward portion of a motor boat, showing'a wind-shield embodying my invention applied: thereto, said wind-shield being in raised position;

Fig. 2, aside elevation ofFig. 1; Fig. 3,-aview similar to Fig. 2, showing the wind-shieldin lowered position;

Figs.'4, 5 and 6, enlarged detail sectional views, taken on the lines IV-IV, V-V and VI-VI of Fig. 1, respectively; and 1 Fig. 7, a detail section taken on the line Referring to the drawings, A designates a motor boat havinga forward deck 2 and a cockpit or tonneau 3. A wind-shield, generally designated B and embodying my invention, is mounted on the forward deck 2, slightly forward of the cockpit, and includes a pair of main shield sections or panels 4 and 5, having elongated hollow frames 6 and 1, respectively, for mounting panes of glass or other suitable transparent material. Said main sections or panels are disposed transversely of the water-craft, and are hinged at their lower portions to suitable metallic base members or plates 8 and 9, the latter being secured to the deck by meansof screws ID.

The base members 8 and 9 are arranged in the form of a broad V, having its point directed forwardly so as to provide an outward and rearward inclination to the shield sections 4 and 5, and are formed with apertured spaced-apart bifurcated lugs l I, extending upwardly therefrom and adapted to receive the depending apertured lugs l2 of the shield sections.

The lugs l2 are formed integral with L-shaped corner fittings 3, secured to the frames 6 and 1 by means of suitable screws or rivets. Suitable pins or bolts l4 arepassed throughthe apertured lugs H and I2, about which the shield sections may be rotated.

The frames 6 and I of the wind-shield panels 7 4 and 5 are preferably formed of metal channels for receiving the edges of the glass or other transparent material. The inner adjacent or abutting sides l5 and I6 of said frames are formed with inter-fitting means for securely sealing the joint between the same when the sections are in raised position, said means including alongitudinally' extending recessed or channel-like portion l'l formed in the side member I6, adapted to receive a longitudinally extendingand projecting flange I8 on the side frame member l5, as particularly shown in Fig. 4. A latch member a is provided on the section 5 for engaging a screw and thumbnut connection b on the section 4, for locking the sections together in raised position. For the purpose of supporting the main shield sections when in raised; position 'and to provide for an additional wind protection, I provide a pair of supplemental side shield sections I9 and 20 extending rearwardly from the outer frame members Hand 22 of the respective main shield sections 4 and 5. These side shield sections comprise hollow metal frames 23 surrounding transparent panes and are hinged to the outer frame members by means of hinges 24 secured by means of screws or 25 to the said frames and frame members, :the

hinges 24 being closed when the wind-shieldis in raised positiomas shown in Fig.- 6. i

The lower frame member 26 of each side shield section is adapted to be received in a bifurcated member 21 for securing the said section along a side rail portion 28 of the water-craft. The members 21 are provided with clamping screws 29 threaded in said members and adapted to engage the frame members 26 for clamping the sections in place.

The forward members of the side section frames 23 are preferably inclined upwardly and rearwardly for the purpose of providing an inclination to the main shield sections' l and 5, thereby decreasing the wind resistance of said main sections.

Thus, the wind shield may be maintained in a raised position, and is rigidly supported by means of the rearwardly extending side shield sections l9 and 20. In the event it is desired to lower the wind-shield, this may be accomplished and the shield collapsed onto the forward deck 2, and folded to lie flat thereon in the following manner.

The clamping screws 29 engagingthe side sections l9 and 20' are loosened and the latch a freed from the main section 4 by loosening the screw and thumb-nut connection b thereof. The main section may then be rotated forwardly and downwardly about its hinge pins M to lie flat upon the deck 2. The side shield section 20, secured to said main section 5 by means of thehinge 24 may be folded over on the main section in the manner of Fig. 3. The same procedure may be followed with the main section 4 and the side section I9 as soon as the interfitting seal l1l8 of the main shield sections has become disengaged.

In order to prevent vibration of the collapsed wind-shield and to secure the same to the deck in its folded relation, suitable deck locks C are provided forwardly of the base members 8 and 9. These locks include a rotatable angular latch member 30 pivoted to a base member 3 I, as at 32, and having a bifurcated end 33 for engagement with a thumb-screw 34 attached to the upper portion of the main shield sections 4 and 5. Resilient means in the form of rubber pads 35 on the deck locks C are provided for contact with the frames of the main shield sections.

Upon collapsing the wind shield, as stated above, the frame members of the main shield sections engage the rubber pads 35. The latch members 30 may then be rotated toward said frame members until the bifurcated ends 33 thereof engage the thumb screws 34, whereupon the latter may be tightened to secure the shield to the deck.

Each side and main shield section frame is provided with cooperating and registering means for securing each side section to its main section when the parts are in collapsed condition; said means include a snap button 36 on the main shield and a spring catch 37 for the same on the side shield section (see Fig. 7).

The lower framing members 38 of the main wind-shield sections 4 and 5 may be curved to conform to the curvatures of the base members 8 and 9, and are preferably provided with resilient means for sealing the joint between said members 38 and the base members. I have shown a rubber strip 39 extending longitudinally of the members 38 and depending therefrom to contact with said base members for completely preventing the entrance of wind thereunder.

I claim:

1. A wind-shield of the character described including a base member, a plurality of main shield sections separately hinged to the base member, and a side shield section hinged to each main section and operable for supporting the main section while in operative position.

2. A wind-shield of the character described including a base member, a main shield formed of a plurality of sections separately hinged to the base member and arranged in V-shape, means for securing the main section in, lowered position, a side shield section hinged to the main section and operable for supporting the main section in raised position, means for securing the side section in raised position, and cooperating means on both of said sections for securing the side section to the main section in lowered position.

3. In a water-craft, the combination with a deck thereof, of base members secured to the deck, a pair of main wind shield sections hinged to the base members, means for supporting the sections in raised position, means on the deck for securing said sections in lowered position, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of spaced apart deck locks having rotatable latches, and securing screws on the shield sections for cooperation with said latches- 4. In a water-craft, the combination with a deck thereof, of base members secured to the deck, a pair of main wind-shield sections hinged to the base members, means for supporting the sections in raised position, means on the deck for securing said sections in lowered position comprising resilient members for contacting with the sections and a pair of spaced-apart deck locks having rotatable latches, and securing screws on the shield sections for cooperation with said latches.

5. In a water-craft, the combination with deck and side rail portions thereof, of base members secured to the deck, a pair of main wind-shield sections hinged to the base members, a pair of side wind-shield sections hinged to the main sections and extending rearwardly thereof along the side rail portions operable for supporting the main sections in raised position, means on the side portions for securing the side sections in raised position, means for sealing the joint between the main shield sections, means for securing said main sections to the decks in lowered position, and cooperating means on the main and side sections for securing the latter to the former in lowered position.

6. The combination with a boat deck of a plurality of end abutting, angularly disposed windshield frames, means on the lower portions of said frames for pivotally securing said frames to said deck with said frames in rearwardly inclined position and permitting said frames to be turned forwardly to a position substantially parallel with and in close proximity to said deck, and means for detachably holding said frames in the position to which they are turned.

WALTER LEVEAU. 

